Eggs got cold on day ?, did I mess it all up?

[CharlotteJ]

I'm sure that this is a familiar story. We went away for the holidays, and came back to a broody hen. The neighbor who was watching her didn't know what was going on, so she had the opportunity to sit on seven or so eggs for a bit before we came home. Looking back, I think she was broody before we left - my son said that one of the hens kept pecking at him when he'd go out and collect eggs. We'd been thinking of letting a hen hatch some, but originally thought that you really couldn't do it in the winter, that you had to wait for spring (we're in the DC area). What can I say, we're new at this... So, we took the eggs out, they sat on the counter for a couple of hours, and then my husband put them in the fridge, thinking that we could still eat them.

After they were in the fridge for a couple of hours, and cold, I did enough reading to think, "Hm, maybe we should give mamma a shot at it." We candled the eggs, and there's stuff growing in there - shadows about an inch in diameter. I don't think the candling set up was good enough to see veining, but when we cracked one, there was blood and veining. I rushed out, and put the eggs back under my poor ****** off broody hen. I have no clue what day they were on, or even if they're all the same age, since when we left she wasn't sitting on any, and she had a good 7 or 8, and had already been broody before starting.

I read one thread where eggs got cold on day 5, and they were ok. But we put them in the fridge, so that's pretty cold.

Is there any chance? I'm planning on just waiting to see, but I think I'd better start learning what I can and preparing if we have even a chance at having babies around.

Thanks in advance! You folks have been so helpful so far.

Cheers,
Charlotte

 

[sourland]

They may very well remain viable. Check them (candle) in anoher 4 or 5 days and that will tell the story.

 

[CharlotteJ]

Thanks!

I suppose that if it doesn't work out, I can just put new fertilized eggs under her. I've been setting aside all that we've pulled out since we got home, and not putting them in the fridge. This is our last chance for a while, as our beautiful Welsummer rooster has gotten aggressive with the kids and will be going to visit the Amish tomorrow.

Today, I caught another chicken laying in the nesting box, so I pushed her aside and pulled out all of the unmarked eggs. Unfortunately, I cracked a marked one. I brought it inside and opened it, and the embryo seems bigger and longer than it did the other night. Stretched out, it's a good 3/4" long. I wish I'd thought to measure the other one we cracked.

I guess it's time to think about separating her from the rest of the flock. We only have a small ark, so I'd been hoping to avoid that. The other girls haven't been abusing her, that I can tell, but the way our nesting box door is designed I'm liable to drop eggs in the hinge area and crack them.

And no, I haven't pointed out to my husband yet that this means we'll need to build more chicken space. Heh. Chicken math.

Cheers,
Charlotte